[ . . .
] it must be remembered that for nearly 50 years of the period
under Study, the influence of the Duke of Wellington --although
arguably the greatest military leader Britain has yet
produced-- kept the British Army in a state of stagnation.
Those who had contributed so much to winning him his enviable
reputation were served badly by
him in the years after Waterloo and up to his death in
1852.
Determined to maintain his army in the state in which it had won
its greatest triumphs, the Duke created a reactionary atmosphere
powerful enough to daunt the most ardent reformer. The
Infantry who set sail for the Crimea shortly after his death
were clothed, equipped and armed in much the same manner as his Peninsular
infantry. Commanded by Lord Raglan --a protιgι of
Wellington who was almost as conservative as the great man
himself-- the expedition to Russia was ripe for disaster.
That no major catastrophe ensued was due more to the stoic
courage of the common soldier than to the leadership they
received.
Eventually Raglan's death, and public
reaction to revelations of military and administrative incompetence, stirred army reforms which were long
overdue. The more glaring deficiencies were put to rights
while the Crimean war was still in progress. The infantry,
some of whom had sailed for the war with smooth-bore muskets,
were re-equipped with one of the finest rifles of the time, the 1853
pattern Enfield; and unprecedented efforts were made to improve
the clothing, diet, shelter, sanitation, and health of the
soldier.
Amidst all this improvement the equipment of
the infantry soldier was late coming under scrutiny. Not
until 1871 was the pattern of equipment approved of for issue
which equaled the designs current in France and
Prussia. Until then the best that could be done for
the British Infantryman was to modify the shape or size of
his knapsack. In this respect the conservative influence of Wellington died hard; and the consequent suffering of
generations of foot-soldiers --at a time when that description
was a literal one-- can only be understood
fully by reading the medical reports on the discharged
certificates of the day. These men were usually broken in
health as much by the cruel burden of their equipment as by
conditions of service, some bearing the marks of knapsack
straps into old age. "Pack palsey", a condition
caused by the constriction of shoulder belts and knapsack
straps, was comma. The result for many was heart and lung
disease in later life.
--Transcribed
from British Infantry Equipment - 1808 to 1908, Osprey
Man-at-Arms Series |
The articles
furnished to each man in the Royal Engineers are as follows:
1 Busby -
Quadrennially
|
BUSBIES
A Busby
is to last four years. New busbies and plumes will
be supplied to recruits finally approved during the first two years of
the period, and part worn busbies during the last two years.
The busbies of discharged and non-effective men at home are in
all cases to be returned into store complete.
The clothing and busbies of non-effective men in the Royal
Engineers abroad are to be sold by auction at the end of each month, and
the amount realized credited in the contingent accounts, supported by a
certificate of the Commanding Officer. If unsaleable, they must be
handed over to the nearest Storekeeper or Barrack Master.
At home stations part worn clothing is to be taken into the
regimental store and sent to Woolwish by the first favorable
opportunity, if fit for issue to recruits; if not fit for use, a fact
which is to be determined by the Officers on the spot, it is to be sold
by auction, or if unsaleable to be handed over to the nearest
Storekeeper or Barrack Master.
|
|
1 Tunic -
Annually
 |
 |
Senior
Serjeant's Tunic |
RE
Enlisted Man's Tunic |
|
 |
Buttons |
|
|
1 pair Boots -
Annually
 |
1 pair Trowsers -
Annually
|
1 Working Jacket - Annually
 |
Crimea Shell
jacket |
|
1 pair Working Trowsers - Annually
|
1 pair Working Boots - Annually
 |
Hobnail sole of a work boot |
|
1 Forage Cap - Annually
 |
Forage
Cap |
|
ACCOUTREMENTS and
APPOINTMENTS
Rank and File
Pouches,Cartridge and Expense pouch
 |
|
 |
1855 Expense Pouch |
|
1861 Expense Pouch |
|
Belts, pouch, complete
 |
 |
1854 Cap
Pouch |
Enfield
Cartridge Box
Interior view |
 |
 |
1861
Pattern Percussion Cap Pouch |
1854
Enfield Cartridge Pouch |
|
Belts, waist
 |
Waist
Belt |
|
Frogs, sliding, with buckles and straps
 |
Enfield
Frog Buckle |
|
Carbine slings
|
Plates for waist belts |
 |
Belt
Buckle |
|
Great Coats for the Royal Engineers will be
furnished at the
public expense to all Non-commissioned Officers and Men. Coats for
Serjeants shall be furnished without cuffs and Collars, which are to be
added at the headquarters of each corps and shall be made of the same
quality and colour of the facings of the corps. Chevrons on the
right sleeve may be added at head quarters to the great coats of
Serjeants and Corporals.
|
 |
Great
Coat |
|
|
LIST of NECESSARIES for the ROYAL ENGINEERS
Taken from
Tangled Web Canadian Infantry Accoutrements 1855-1985,
printed for Canadian War Museum Historical Publication No 26:
The Mess tins- The Kidney or D-section mess tins were introduced in 1814 and
used
practically until replaced with aluminum mess tins in
1939. This
must
surely be a record for sheer longevity for any item of personal
kit
in the history of the army.
The semi-cylindrical 3-part mess tin, frequently referred to as
a
canteen, was 6 inches wide, 4 inches deep, and about 7 inches
high. The three nesting parts consisted of a " top part with a
handle for
drinking, a shallow centre portion which served as a plate, and
a
deeper 4-inch section with a handle, which was used as a meat
container and a billy can for boiling".
|
Kits will be furnished upon requision addressed to the Secretary
of State for War. They will be supplied complete, with the
exception of the boots, fatigue jackets and trousers. The boots
will be furnished in sizes. The fatigue jackets and trousers will
be issued in materials, in order that they may be made up at the Depots
and fitted to the recruit.
Winter equipment for North America is to consist of the following
articles, viz.: -
A fur cap
|
Two flannel
waistcoats |
Two pairs of long flannel or worsted drawers
 |
Drawers |
|
A pair of canadian
boots |
|
|
The fur cap is to last - 3 years
|
Canadian boots - 2 years
|
Flannel waistcoats - 1 year
|
Flannel drawers - 2 years
|
As No. 4274 Albert Robinson, I enlisted at Westminster on the 9th January 1855, for the 28th Regiment, at the age of 17 years.
On the 16th of the same month I joined the Depot at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight, and was posted to No.4 Company, commanded by Captain Webb (a Waterloo veteran).
The following day I was marched to Newport to obtain my kit from the Army contractor (Isaac & Co.)
After that I drew from the Headquarters Stores a shako, coatee, boots, pair of trousers, and a great coat.
My bounty was £6 from which I had to pay for the following articles of my kit, viz: knapsack straps, mess tin and cover, one pair of boots, one pair of summer trousers, shell jacket, forage cap and number, haversack, 3 white cotton shirts, 2 towels, 2 pairs of socks, one pair of braces, stock and clasp, and holdall complete.
When I mention that the small pipeclay sponge in those days cost 1/- and a tin of blacking 4d. it will be
realized that the bounty did not go far.
Every article of kit had to be marked at a cost to the owner of 1/2d. per article.
Add to this the fact that the older hands made a habit of relieving the recruits of many small articles, and it will be easily understood that frequently at the end of the month, when I paraded to sign my accounts, I found I was in debt. Consequently, when this happened, I was placed on 1d. per diem pay, out of which I had to provide my cleaning materials. Boot repairing was a heavy item, owing to the rough state of the Barrack Square, whilst the Barrack damages (after the departure of a draft) were very high.
In addition we had to pay 2d. per month for sheet washing, and 1d. for haircutting.
--Letter
from
Albert Robinson |
|